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College Football Playoff: Locals make presence felt in title game

 
Clemson receiver Ray-Ray McCloud, from Sickles High, celebrates at his home stadium, Raymond James.
Clemson receiver Ray-Ray McCloud, from Sickles High, celebrates at his home stadium, Raymond James.
Published Jan. 11, 2017

TAMPA — For Clemson receiver Ray-Ray McCloud, the best part of Monday's College Football Playoff national title game wasn't the double-digit fourth-quarter comeback, or one of the wildest finishes in championship game history.

It was the location.

"It's at home," McCloud said.

And what a homecoming it was for the Tigers' Tampa Bay trio — McCloud, Artavis Scott and Deon Cain. The receivers all played pivotal roles in Clemson's 35-31 comeback win at Raymond James Stadium.

"I'm very happy for those guys," coach Dabo Swinney said. "It's special, I know, for them to be able to come back and play in the Bucs' stadium, and to win a national championship is just incredible."

It wouldn't have happened without them. Just ask Cain.

The former Tampa Bay Tech quarterback was one of the Tigers' top big-play targets last season but was suspended for the playoffs. His absence in a 45-40 loss to 'Bama last January loomed large.

"Now that I'm finally here," Cain said, "I just wanted to make the best of it."

Cain accomplished that Monday, with five catches, 94 yards and one game-shifting play — a 43-yard screen pass that jumpstarted a dormant offense.

"Unbelievable, incredible spark …" Swinney said.

The Tigers ended that drive with quarterback Deshaun Watson dashing for an 8-yard touchdown, but McCloud deserves an assist. The former Sickles High star lined out wide to the left. When McCloud went in motion to the right, defensive back Anthony Averett with him. The shift allowed Watson to run where Averett used to be and cut the deficit to 14-7.

Scott, the former East Lake High star, was relatively quiet by his standards. Clemson's all-time leading receiver finished with 6 yards on four offensive touches, but he, too, made an easy-to-miss impact on a play that will go down in college football history.

With six seconds left, Scott cut in for a slant near the goal line and collided with defensive back Tony Brown. Each side thought the other committed pass interference. No matter. Scott's route (or pick) let Hunter Renfrow slip out for the game-winning 2-yard touchdown catch with one second left.

"Call it what you want," Scott said. "It's a touchdown. That's how I look at it."

Call it just one of the little things that helped Clemson snap the Tide's 26-game win streak and come away with its first national title since 1981.

Here's one more locally infused reason: Rotating, unselfish receivers.

As good as the Tide's defense was, the Tigers noticed that 'Bama had little depth in the secondary. Clemson tried to crank out plays to wear the Tide down, and out. That meant rotating receivers. Cain came in for future first-round pick Mike Williams. Scott and McCloud traded turns, too.

The result was a receiving corps that was rested when it mattered most. Clemson had 241 passing yards through the first 43 minutes but 179 in the final 17 to make the Tampa Bay trio's trip home even more remarkable.

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"That makes it even sweeter," McCloud said. "I knew one day I'd have an opportunity to play in a game like this, and dreams do come true."

Contact Matt Baker at mbaker@tampabay.com. Follow @MBakerTBTimes.